Counterfeit pound coins have been around since 1983, the year genuine pound coins were first issued. But their numbers are now on the increase at an alarming rate. One current estimate puts the cumulative total at over thirty million!

The early fakes, mostly cast in a lead-alloy, and nicknamed by the Royal Mint 'garden-shed' efforts, were comparatively easy to spot. Their thin gold layers would soon show give-away streaks of silver. But recent products are being made to a higher standard that can even fool Banks, as inadventent Bank reissues demonstrate.

There have been just a handful of prosecutions over the past few years, suggesting that the Government does not regard the problem as a priority requiring manpower or expenditure. The onus is therefore on the individual to cope with this situation. Up to now, all that has been possible has been to accept the rejection of a profferred coin by shopkeepers, petrol station attendants, etc., with as good grace as one could muster. But help is at hand with Ken Peters' Guide to spotting fake pound coins called THE CHEAT IN YOUR CHANGE. It explains what to look for clearly and simply, enabling the reader to become an instant expert, capable of picking out the duds from a batch of coins in seconds. And, says the author, it is a fun way to impress family and friends, adding that it could become addictive!